I walk into the Project Vote Smart office here in Tucson every day, dripping with sweat. My face is red, and I feel as though an IV of fluids is needed to keep me from collapsing--it is 110 degrees...again. After signing in, I find my way over to the filings of vote selections. I usually skim the list of votes; I am not too picky, but choosing too many votes from New Hampshire can really wear on a person, as they have 425 members in their House to enter. I choose a vote that fits my sanity levels of the day, and I sit down to begin my research.

It has been a while since I have done this last semester, and it takes a little time to get back into the swing of things. I jumped in headfirst though, right into a 93-page pension reform bill (HB 1828). The people of Pennsylvania need to know this information. I pick apart this bill, picking out the information most valuable to the general public and write up the summary, being very careful to be stay non-partisan. When I finish, I stand up to stretch and maybe give out a few victory high-fives to other interns and then go choose my next bill summary to conquer.

-Vanessa Dojaquez (University of Arizona, 2012, Political Science Major, from Chandler, AZ),  Arizona Key Votes Intern